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206 CLASSIFICATION OF DECAYED CAVITIES.

be mostly from the posterior surface of the anterior
tooth. In regard to the form of the separation effected
by cutting, the general practice formerly was to cut
down the whole proximal side of the affected tooth,
making between it and the adjoining one a V-shaped
space, sufficient in extent to admit of free manipula-
tion in all parts of the operation of filling. By thus
cutting the teeth, the form is marred, and often to
great disadvantage in use, as by it the masticating

surface is lessened, and food being crowded into
such a space produces very unpleasant pressure. In
order to preserve the form and the greatest amount
of masticating surface to the tooth, a preferable
method is to cut a mortise down from the masticating
surface to the cavity of decay, leaving the lingual and
buccal sides of the tooth untouched, except, perhaps,
a little dressing that may be rendered necessary by
the thinness and roughness of the margins. This
cutting should extend about as far toward the center
of the tooth as the decay has penetrated, and be

nearly as wide as the extent of the decay across the
tooth. When it is necessary to cut from the whole
proximal surface there should be no shoulder or pro-
jection left at the neck of the tooth, but the cut sur-
face should be plain from the crown to its termination
at or near the neck. The space of whatever form it
may be should be large enough to enable the operator